


Brothers and Sisters

by friendlyneighborhoodfairy



Series: FNF's Nonbinary Month fics 2020 [2]
Category: D.Gray-man
Genre: Discussion of Pronouns, Kanda gives an actual goddamn compliment, Legory gets what he deserves, Lenalee threatens to give Allen her first kiss and Allen almost passes out, Nonbinary Character, Other, Trans Female Character, because they're adorable children
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-06
Updated: 2020-10-06
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:33:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26857507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/friendlyneighborhoodfairy/pseuds/friendlyneighborhoodfairy
Summary: Komui respects Lenalee’s gender and demands it of others too. His sibling will not have their pronouns mocked by anyone: anyone who tries will be in a very dangerous position.Afterward, Lenalee joins body-insecure-Allen where she’s training, trying to forget the parts of her that are more stubborn about transition.Do not post to another site.
Relationships: Komui Lee & Allen Walker, Komui Lee & Lenalee Lee, Lenalee Lee/Allen Walker
Series: FNF's Nonbinary Month fics 2020 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1843501
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11
Collections: Nonbinary Month 2020





	Brothers and Sisters

**Author's Note:**

> D. Gray Man (Allenalee/Lenallen) + nonbinary + trans woman.
> 
> Set halfway through season 3 of the anime, after the episode “Reunion.” No major spoilers, however!

When Lenalee brought coffee, it was in a mug Komui had never seen before.

“To replace yours that broke,” Lenalee said cheerfully, pointing to the orange and green turtle on it. “Isn’t it cute? I got it in China.”

“Aw, look at that, chief,” Legory Peck said, putting down some papers and leaning over to see. “She’s giving you a thumbs-up. I didn’t know tortoises had thumbs.”

“Technically they don’t,” Komui commented, taking a sip. “Also, this is a turtle, not a tortoise. I think the effect is an expression of artistic intent. It’s very cheerful.”

Lenalee smiled at him, then turned on Legory.

“Why did you call it a she?”

“I don’t know,” he shrugged. “It’s cute.”

“So you called it a she,” they said flatly.

“It looked like a girl,” he said, voice rising as he raised an eyebrow. “Geez, Lenalee. Who cares?”

“I should think you would care, as a linguist. Why are cute things always feminized? Why are strong things always masculine?”

“Hey, that’s not strictly true. Ships are feminized.”

Lenalee rolled their eyes. “Because men ride them. It’s clearly a sexual statement.”

Komui choked and sprayed coffee in his lap. “Hey—”

“What’s wrong with cute things being feminine? Girls are cute. That doesn’t mean they’re not tough,” Legory said. “Look at Allen. She’s quite durable.”

“Then why do things known for their strength always get masculinized?” Lenalee challenged.

“Because it’s all that’s left?” he suggested. “Otherwise everything would end up feminized.”

He gave a laugh that turned nervous under two intense stares.

“What?”

“There would be absolutely nothing wrong with that,” Komui said. His voice somehow managed to be both off-hand and cold. “But Lenalee is right. You, as a linguist, ought to care about these things, Section Three Chief. We’ll begin to think you’re slacking off.”

On the surface Komui’s words were teasing, but Legory gulped.

“What gets neuter pronouns, then?” Lenalee demanded. The light of challenge was in their eye, and in that moment brother and sister looked _way_ too similar.

“I don’t know; things which aren’t gendered?”

“Ships aren’t gendered,” Lenalee said viciously.

“There are lots of other things—” Legory scoffed.

He cut off when he was suddenly off-balance and standing on one foot. The other had been neatly swept out—by Komui. Lenalee looked like they would’ve done it and were a little upset he got to Legory first. Legory grabbed his toe and swore.

“Neutral pronouns aren’t simply for the un- and antigendered,” Komui said calmly, rising. “They can be for genders outside the system of the language, genders which have not gotten to have pronouns of their own. It’s a bandaid solution to a long-term problem, I’m afraid. Something you ought to know.”

He seemed to be saying many things with that sentence, eying Legory with a look that threatened ice—or maybe fire.

“Lenalee, I believe Allen was asking after you,” he went on, turning his back on Legory and smiling down at his sibling. “She was downstairs training, last I heard. A bit crazy to do this soon, but I allowed it since she’s healed so well.”

“Thanks.” Straightening, they beamed at him. “I hope you like the mug!”

“I adore it,” Komui said, and kissed their forehead.

After smirking and wiggling their fingers at Legory, Lenalee exited.

Komui stood still for a few minutes, staring at the door to his office and sipping from the turtle mug.

“Section Chief Peck,” he said without turning around. “We need to have a conversation about how you talk to my sibling.”

————

Lenalee entered the training hall and had to step smartly aside when a sandbag flew past their head.

“Hey, Al,” they called, waving to get her attention and keeping an eye out for any more airborne debris. “Destroying things again?”

“It’s not on purpose,” Allen grumbled, rubbing her forehead and scrubbing her hair back so that it stuck up in sweaty little peaks. “These things aren’t as strong as they used to be.”

“Or you’ve just gotten stronger,” they teased, picking up the broken-off end of a pole and tossing it at her.

“Lenalee,” she said, staring at the floor, “I…feel weird.”

They blinked in alarm. “In what way?”

“I feel strange inside,” she said, looking down at herself. “Do you think I look different? I could swear I’m swollen. My body is so unhelpful. It’s impractical.”

“You like it better when your innocence is activated?”

She frowned at them. “That doesn’t change my body.”

“You look different, though.”

“Yeah… I guess…”

They both drifted off.

“I like how you look,” Lenalee said with deep sincerity. “You can fight akuma plenty well, so I don’t see anything impractical about it.”

“Kanda says I look like me,” she said wryly.

“Wow.” They blinked. “I didn’t know he allowed himself to give compliments like that. Especially not to you.”

“How is that a compliment?”

“Oh, come on. I agree with him: you look perfectly like yourself.”

“Of course I look like me, I _am_ —”

“No, no,” Lenalee interrupted her, eying the defeated slant to her shoulders. Her tone was tetchy, but her posture pained. “Who you are…it’s all there. Your smile is authentic and you let your emotions show and you don’t hide things and…you’re a very good person, Allen. And you _look_ like a good person. Your body is strong and sincere. I think that’s what he was trying to say. That’s what I see, anyway.”

“Thanks.” Allen’s smile was still sad. “I…will try to see that too.”

“Your fear of mirrors is working against you,” they chuckled. “Maybe you need to look at yourself and see your beautiful face reflected back every once in a while.”

“Maybe.” This time, her smile reached her eyes. “It’s funny: that made me feel better even though what I originally meant is that I’m…” Allen blushed and lowered her voice. “I started the medicine again, and I feel swollen and emotional and…”

She cut off the rushed scatter of words a little breathless.

“Oh, Allen,” Lenalee sighed. “I understand. I’m so sorry.”

“It’d be easier without the emotion volatility,” Allen murmured.

“I thought some of the medical science folks came up with a medicine to help it?”

“It makes me _unable_ to cry, instead of crying all the time. Head nurse said it was better if I didn’t take it initially after a trauma so that I could…express myself.”

Lenalee nodded their head in solidarity and reached out a comforting hand, which Allen squeezed. They smiled at each other.

“Yoo hoo,” a voice echoed in from the hall. “Where’s my little sisterrrrr?”

“Sister?” Allen turned wide eyes on Lenalee. Komui of all people wouldn’t misgender—

“There you are!” Komui said with exaggerated exultation, waltzing into the room and beaming at Allen. “I was told you haven’t eaten in,” he consulted his watch, “three hours and two minutes. Off to Jerry with you.”

“You’re managing her food intake now?” Lenalee asked in shock. “What is this, a prison?”

“Are you joking, dear sibling?” Komui tilted his head. “Of course it is. You all are recovering from injuries. We are your nurses and your wardens until you are safe to be left to your own devices again.”

“At least I like food,” Allen said weakly.

“Exactly. Now get moving, young lady, or people will say I don’t love my sister.”

“Sister?” she stared at him in bewilderment.

“That’s what you’ll be when you and Lenalee get married.”

Allen and Lenalee groaned in tandem.

“Why are you still _on that?_ ” Lenalee wailed. “Seriously!”

“We’re not getting—we just—it’s only—been a few weeks! We hardly even hold hands!” Allen sputtered, turning brilliant red. She was still embarrassed to talk about anything of their relationship to anyone, especially her datemate’s highly-protective and devious older brother.

“Do you even know how old I am, Komui?” Lenalee stormed. “I’m not marrying anyone for at least decade—let me have my youth! And if you keep on like this, I won’t marry anyone ever!”

“Lenalee!” Komui bawled, already on his knees and beseeching them. “Please don’t give up hope. You’re a kind and thoughtful human being, finding love isn’t impossible, just believe—”

He narrowly blocked their kick to his head, smirking when he caught their foot.

“You didn’t actually think that would work, did you?”

“No,” they said, and somersaulted over his head.

He was so startled he released their foot, and they kicked his rear as they landed gracefully behind him.

“Come, Allen,” they said austerely while Komui grabbed his butt with a groan. “Let’s get food.”

Not one to argue whenever their imperious tone came out, Allen hurriedly bypassed the brother and took the outstretched hand.

“Okay,” she said nervously. “Yeah. Uh. That sounds nice.”

Once they were out in the hallway a few steps, she seemed to realize she was holding their hand, and sprang apart with an embarrassing squeak.

“Um, what are we doing?” she asked, voice rising several octaves.

“Holding hands, dummy,” Lenalee said, taking her fingers again and drawing her along the corridor. “Maybe if Komui tries to follow us, I’ll kiss you and see if he has a heart attack.”

Allen wobbled with a sudden surge of faintness.

“Uh, yeah,” she said shakily. “Heart attacks can definitely be a side effect of…that.”

Shooting a smirk over their shoulder, Lenalee said, “Just hold onto me and I’ll make sure you don’t fall over.”

“Right,” Allen said hoarsely, now very sure that a first kiss was in her near future. At least lunch would offer a respite of mental preparation…


End file.
